Patrick Mahomes is the graybeard of the quarterbacks in the AFC playoffs even though he’s only 27 and wasn’t even born yet when Tom Brady was a freshman at the University of Michigan in 1995.
With Tua Tagovailoa (concussion) out and Teddy Bridgewater, 30, also hurt, the Miami Dolphins are preparing rookie Skylar Thompson, 25, to start at Buffalo this weekend.
That would make Mahomes the oldest starting quarterback in the AFC field.
Mahomes said he certainly feels as if he’s entered a new phase in which he’s no longer the puerile passer who took the league by storm in 2018 when he threw for 50 touchdowns and was the league MVP in his first season as the Kansas City Chiefs’ starter.
“Yeah, I feel like it’s changed. I have two kids now, I’m married. I’m kind of an old soul, so I am kind of the oldest — I am literally the oldest — quarterback in the AFC,” Mahomes said.
“It speaks to the talent that we have in the AFC and the guys that I’m looking around at are going to be there for the long time. So, I’ll be the old head in the AFC for a while now and I’ll try to use that experience to my advantage.”
Buffalo’s Josh Allen and Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow are both 26. Chargers QB Justin Herbert and Ravens QB Tyler Huntley, who’s filling in for Lamar Jackson (knee), are both 24, and Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence is 23.
Not that he’ll be reclining in a rocking chair, but Mahomes gets to sit out wild-card weekend after the Chiefs earned the top seed in the AFC for the third time in his five seasons as the starter.
If they win in the divisional round, the Chiefs would host the conference championship game for a record-extending fifth consecutive year so long as the opponent isn’t the Bills (13-3), whose game at Cincinnati was canceled after safety Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest on Jan 2.
If the Bills and Chiefs reach the AFC title game, it will be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The league brokered the neutral site deal because Buffalo could have been the top seed with a victory over the Bengals.
It all starts Saturday when the Chargers (10-7) visit the Jaguars (9-8) for the playoff debuts of Herbert and Lawrence. On Sunday, the Dolphins (9-8) visit the Bills (13-3) and the Ravens (10-7) visit the Bengals (12-4).
1. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (14-3). Two Lombardi trophies in four Super Bowl appearances: lost to Packers 35-10 in Super Bowl 1, beat Vikings 23-7 in Super Bowl 4, beat 49ers 31-20 in Super Bowl 54, lost to Buccaneers 31-9 in Super Bowl 55. Last year: No. 2 seed, beat Steelers 42-21 in wild-card round, beat Bills 42-36 (OT) in divisional round, lost to Bengals 27-24 (OT) in AFC championship game. Eighth consecutive trip to the playoffs. Seventh consecutive AFC West title.
2. BUFFALO BILLS (13-3). No Lombardi trophies in four Super Bowl appearances: lost to Giants 20-19 in Super Bowl 25, lost to Washington 37-24 in Super Bowl 26, lost to Cowboys 52-17 in Super Bowl 27, lost to Cowboys 30-13 in Super Bowl 28. Last year: 11-6, No. 3 seed, beat Patriots 47-17 in wild-card round, lost to Chiefs 42-36 (OT) in divisional round. Third straight AFC East title.
3. CINCINNATI BENGALS (12-4). No Lombardi trophies in three Super Bowl appearances: lost to 49ers 26-21 in Super Bowl 16, lost to 49ers 20-16 in Super Bowl 23, lost to Rams 23-20 in Super Bowl 56. Last year: 10-7, No. 4 seed, beat Raiders 26-19 in wild-card round, beat Titans 19-16 in divisional round, beat Chiefs 27-24 (OT) in AFC championship, lost to Rams 23-20 in Super Bowl 56. Second straight AFC North title.
4. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (9-8). One of four teams with no Super Bowl appearances. Last year: 3-14, missed the playoffs. First playoff appearance since 2017, when they lost to the Patriots 24-20 in AFC championship game. Won AFC South in Doug Pederson’s first season as head coach in Jacksonville.
5. LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (10-7). No Lombardi trophies in one Super Bowl appearance: lost to 49ers 49-26 in Super Bowl 29. Last year: 9-8, missed the playoffs. First playoff appearance since 2018 when they beat Ravens 23-17 in wild-card round and lost to Patriots 41-28 in divisional round.
6. BALTIMORE RAVENS (10-7). Two Lombardi trophies in two appearances: beat Giants 34-7 in Super Bowl 35 and beat 49ers 34-31 in Super Bowl 47. Last year: 8-9, missed the playoffs. Fourth playoff appearance in five years.
7. MIAMI DOLPHINS (9-8). Two Lombardi trophies in five appearances: lost to Cowboys 24-3 in Super Bowl 6, beat Washington 14-7 in Super Bowl 7, beat Vikings 24-7 in Super Bowl 8, lost to Washington 27-17 in Super Bowl 17, lost to 49ers 38-16 in Super Bowl 19.
